A View from Brooklyn
According to the nifty Health app on my new iPhone 6, I walked 11.6 miles yesterday and 12.03 miles today. Apparently, your walking muscles are not your cycling muscles. Who knew? Last night I slept for seven hours; I can’t remember the last time I slept so long and well.
Observation No. 1
If and when it leaves Broadway and comes to the West Coast. . . I don’t care what the price is . . .go see “Beautiful.” The lady from Dallas and her husband sitting with me in the back row of Orchestra, looked at one another, caught each other mouthing the words to Tapestry, and finally said, “Oh what the hell” (in a Texas accent) and started singing out loud during the encore finale. I do not have words to describe how unbelievably talented the actors were in this musical.
Observation No. 2
One of the themes of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” is how frequently we do not see. The protagonist, in describing the sensory overload that autistics must endure, says “I see everything.” and goes on to say, “Most people are lazy. They never look at everything. They do what is called “glancing.”
Yesterday, I saw a real Rembrandt for the first time. I saw the sad look in Aristotle’s eyes in contemplating a blind Homer. I saw even more poignant eyes in his own self portrait at an age four years younger than I am now.
I’ve found that this silly blog has made me observe, when I might have otherwise glanced. If you walk down a street with the intent of making a mental note of what you see, so as to share it with others, you look more closely and see so much more. I don’t observe enough. I should. It is a far more interesting world when you do.
For example, take a look at these two pictures which I took from Brooklyn of the Manhattan Bridge.
Color is a marvelous gift, but sometimes doesn’t it seem we see better in black and white?
Observation No. 3
Should you ever decide to walk back and forth to Brooklyn over the Brooklyn Bridge, do not do it on a day when 10,000 members of Tap a . . . I’m sorry, I meant to say . . .”Donate a Kidney” decide to march in support of their cause. Can a bladder be transplanted? I need to step up from Economy Size to a full size sedan.
Observation No. 4
Frank Gehry is inspired.
Gehry
Observation No 5
The cannoli maker at Ferrara in Little Italy is more inspired. (A thank you to my book club pal Chuck Rait for harkening back to a childhood memory to steer me toward lunch. The panini was maybe the best lunch I’ve ever had.
Panini Fabini
Observation No 6
I bought a book (there’s a shocker, huh?) at the tail end of my Lonely Planet Pocket Guide to New York City guided walk through Soho. Stopped in at McNally Jackson, NY’s last best indie bookstore. Picked up Alan Lightman’s The Accidental Universe.. I think I tend to read .. . and maybe write (if this blog is any indication) . . .too much.
Washington Square Chess
Observation No. 7
Kate and Sam will tell you that one of my favorite movies is Searching for Bobby Fischer.. “You’ve lost; you just don’t know it yet” is one of the greatest lines ever. The men in Washington Park really do play speed chess. An entire game in less than five minutes
Observation No. 8
i got a smile from a young mom and her nervous daughter. . ..she must have been 4 . . when I asked her If her ears popped on the elevator ride to the top of the Empire State Building. Waited an hour for the sunset. Was worth it.
"Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost" 